US10863649B2 - Air generating system for reservoir tank, immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and method for operating the same - Google Patents

Air generating system for reservoir tank, immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and method for operating the same Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US10863649B2
US10863649B2 US16/451,241 US201916451241A US10863649B2 US 10863649 B2 US10863649 B2 US 10863649B2 US 201916451241 A US201916451241 A US 201916451241A US 10863649 B2 US10863649 B2 US 10863649B2
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
air
reservoir tank
generating assembly
air generating
cooling apparatus
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
US16/451,241
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
US20200315060A1 (en
Inventor
Hua Chen
Sheng Yen LIN
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Wistron Corp
Original Assignee
Wistron Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Wistron Corp filed Critical Wistron Corp
Assigned to WISTRON CORP. reassignment WISTRON CORP. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CHEN, HUA, LIN, SHENG YEN
Publication of US20200315060A1 publication Critical patent/US20200315060A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US10863649B2 publication Critical patent/US10863649B2/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/20709—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
    • H05K7/20718—Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant
    • H05K7/20736—Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant within cabinets for removing heat from server blades
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/20218—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures
    • H05K7/20236—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures by immersion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/2029—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures
    • H05K7/203—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures by immersion
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
    • G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
    • G06F1/20—Cooling means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/2029—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures
    • H05K7/20318—Condensers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/2029—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures
    • H05K7/20327—Accessories for moving fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/20709—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
    • H05K7/20763—Liquid cooling without phase change
    • H05K7/20781—Liquid cooling without phase change within cabinets for removing heat from server blades
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2200/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F1/04 - G06F1/32
    • G06F2200/20—Indexing scheme relating to G06F1/20
    • G06F2200/201—Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid

Definitions

  • the disclosure relates to an air generating system for a reservoir tank, more particularly to an air generating system for a reservoir tank, an immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and a method for operating the same.
  • liquid-cooling technologies such as immersion cooling get more attention.
  • the immersion cooling not only can effectively cool the data center and greatly reduce energy consumption and cost but also can effectively reduce the overall size of the data center.
  • the immersion cooling technology is to immerse the heat source of the data center, such as the mainboard and the electronic components thereon, in a non-conductive coolant so that the heat generated can be directly and quickly transmitted to the coolant, and there is no need to set additional active cooling device, such as a fan, to enhance the heat dissipation efficiency, and which gives the data center more room to accommodate more hardware.
  • the conventional immersion cooling apparatus may contain a vapor condenser to condense the vaporized coolant and turn it back to liquid state so as to recycle the coolant, but there is no specific means to collect the vaporized coolant. Therefore, when the lid of the immersion cooling apparatus is opened during the maintenance process, removal, or installation of the internal electronic components, there will be a large amount of vaporized coolant escaping from the opening of the immersion cooling apparatus. As a result, it needs to regularly replenish the coolant and that leads to a considerable maintenance cost. In addition, the vaporized coolant that escapes into the air can also cause harm to the environment and the human body. Even if the data center stops running and not generating heat, the coolant still will naturally evaporate and thus resulting in the coolant escaping.
  • the present disclosure provides an air generating system for reservoir tank, an immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and a method for operating the same, which are able to prevent the vaporized coolant from escaping.
  • One embodiment of the disclosure provides an air generating system adapted for a reservoir tank.
  • the reservoir tank has a liquid accommodation space and an opening connected to each other.
  • the air generating system includes a first air generating assembly configured to be disposed on the reservoir tank and to generate an airflow distribution at the opening or between the opening and the liquid accommodation space.
  • One embodiment of the disclosure provides an immersion cooling apparatus including a reservoir tank and a first air generating assembly.
  • the reservoir tank has a liquid accommodation space and an opening connected to each other.
  • the first air generating assembly is located on the reservoir tank and configured to generate an airflow distribution at the opening or between the opening and the liquid accommodation space.
  • One embodiment of the disclosure provides a method for operating an air generating system with a reservoir tank.
  • the method includes: activating a first air generating assembly to generate an airflow distribution at an opening of the reservoir tank or between the opening and a liquid accommodation space of the reservoir tank.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the disclosure
  • FIG. 2 shows an interior arrangement of the immersion cooling apparatus in FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the immersion cooling apparatus in FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a flow field simulation of the immersion cooling apparatus in FIG. 1 when the air generating system is in operation;
  • FIG. 5A is a schematic flow field simulation of the immersion cooling apparatus in FIG. 1 when the air generating system is in operation and the reservoir tank contains an object;
  • FIG. 5B is a schematic flow field simulation of the immersion cooling apparatus in FIG. 5A , taken from another viewpoint.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to another embodiment of the disclosure.
  • the terms, such as “end”, “portion”, “part”, “area” and the like may be used in the following to describe specific components and structures or specific features thereon or therebetween, but are not intended to limit these components and structures. And the followings may use terms, such as “substantially”, “approximately”, or “about”; when these terms are used in combination with size, concentration, temperature or other physical or chemical properties or characteristics, they are used to express that, the deviation existing in the upper and/or lower limits of the range of these properties or characteristics or the acceptable tolerances caused by the manufacturing tolerances or analysis process, would still able to achieve the desired effect.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to one embodiment of the disclosure
  • FIG. 2 shows an interior arrangement of the immersion cooling apparatus in FIG. 1 .
  • Some components in FIG. 2 are illustrated in dotted line for better clarity of description herein.
  • an immersion cooling apparatus 1 includes a reservoir tank 10 (can be simply called “tank”) and an air generating system 20 .
  • the air generating system 20 is able to generate an airflow distribution (not shown in FIGS. 1-2 ) for preventing vapor coolant in the reservoir tank 10 from escaping to the external environment.
  • the immersion cooling apparatus 1 may further include a lid 30 .
  • the lid 30 is movably or removably disposed on the reservoir tank 10 and is able to open or close the opening of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the airflow distribution generated by the air generating system 20 is still able to prevent vapor coolant in the reservoir tank 10 from escaping.
  • the followings are to introduce the detail of the reservoir tank 10 and the air generating system 20 so as to specifically explain how to prevent the vapor coolant from escaping.
  • the reservoir tank 10 is a hollow container and opened at one side, and it is not limited to be square-shaped or rectangular-shaped. Note that the disclosure is not limited to the shape, size, wall thickness, and material of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the reservoir tank 10 has a liquid accommodation space S and an opening O that are connected to each other.
  • said liquid accommodation space S is part of the internal space (not numbered) of the reservoir tank 10 , especially the internal area in the reservoir tank 10 for accommodating liquid coolant 8 and/or one or more heat sources 7 ; and said opening O is for the internal space of the reservoir tank 10 to connect to outside.
  • the opening O is sized to allow the heat source 7 to pass therethrough so that the heat source 7 can be taken out from or put into the reservoir tank 10 via the opening O, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the reservoir tank 10 has a top side 101 and a bottom side 102 .
  • the top side 101 is the side of the reservoir tank 10 where the opening O is formed; that is, the opening O is formed at the top side 101 of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the bottom side 102 is opposite the top side 101 , and the bottom side 102 is the side of the reservoir tank 10 used to be in contact with a table or ground.
  • the liquid accommodation space S is an internal area of the reservoir tank 10 relatively close to the bottom side 102 of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the aforementioned heat source 7 may be, but not limited to, one or more mainboards and/or other electronic/electrical components or devices, and the disclosure is not limited to the heat source 7 , the type, quantity, and size of the heat source 7 , and/or the components disposed on the heat source 7 ; and the aforementioned liquid coolant 8 may be, but not limited to, a liquid substance, that has some characteristics suitable for immersion cooling application, such as low boiling point, high heat-transfer efficiency, high thermal capacity and not electrically conductive (dielectric). That is, in this disclosure, the liquid coolant 8 is an electrical insulator.
  • the “low boiling point” herein may be set between approximately 40 and 60 degrees Celsius or at least below the temperature of the heat source 7 in operation.
  • the liquid coolant 8 is a heat transfer fluid that is adaptive to be in direct contact with the heat source 7 so as to absorb the heat generated by the heat source 7 .
  • the liquid coolant 8 can either keep its liquid phase or become gaseous, or can undergo a phase transition between liquid and gas, but the disclosure is not limited to the liquid coolant 8 , and the type, phase transition, and/or physical characteristics of the liquid coolant 8 .
  • the heat source 7 can be partially or fully immersed in the liquid coolant 8 .
  • the temperature of the heat source 7 in operation is higher than the boiling point of the liquid coolant 8 so that the heat generated by the heat source 7 can vaporize the liquid coolant 8 into vapor substance (i.e., vapor coolant or vaporized coolant, but not shown in FIGS. 1-2 ), and then the vapor coolant will rise toward the opening O.
  • the air generating system 20 is configured to prevent the vapor coolant from escaping to the external environment from the opening O of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the air generating system 20 may include a first air generating assembly 210 , the first air generating assembly 210 may be additionally disposed on or integrally formed on the reservoir tank 10 , but the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 may be arranged between the liquid accommodation space S and the lid 30 and is configured to generate an airflow distribution at the opening O or at the area between the opening O and the liquid accommodation space S.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 may be, but not limited to, located at the opening O of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the first air generating assembly 210 is additionally disposed on the reservoir tank 10
  • the first air generating assembly 210 is stacked on the top surface 11 of the reservoir tank 10 by, for example, screwing, welding, or adhesive.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 has at least one first air outlet 2111 .
  • the first air outlet 2111 is connected to the liquid accommodation space S and located at a side of the first air generating assembly 210 facing toward the liquid accommodation space S, and the first air outlet 2111 may be, but not limited to, located at the opening O.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 can generate airflow (indicated by the arrows) inward from the first air outlet 2111 so as to form an airflow distribution.
  • the said airflow distribution can be considered as an air barrier, air wall, or air curtain that is able to block vapor coolant from flowing between the internal space of the reservoir tank 10 and the external environment.
  • the airflow distribution can block the internal vapor and gaseous substance, such as the gaseous and/or vapor coolant and/or other internal gas, from flowing between the internal space of the reservoir tank 10 and the external environment.
  • the physical characteristics of the airflow distribution such as size, density, flow velocity are not restricted and can be altered as long as they're able to block the vapor coolant and/or other internal gas from escaping from the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the first air generating assembly 210 may have four first air outlets 2111 that are respectively located at four sidewalls (not numbered) of the reservoir tank 10 ; in other words, the first air outlets 2111 are respectively located at different sides of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the first air outlets 2111 on the opposite sides of the reservoir tank 10 may able to generate airflow in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, the airflow generated from the first air outlets 2111 in opposite sides of the reservoir tank 10 flows toward each other.
  • the four first air outlets 2111 on the four sidewalls of the reservoir tank 10 can generate airflow toward the central area of the reservoir tank 10 and thus together forming an airflow distribution at the opening O or in somewhere between the opening O and the liquid accommodation space S, thereby preventing the vapor coolant or other internal gas from escaping from the opening O.
  • the first air outlets 2111 of the reservoir tank 10 may be substantially located at the same height; in other words, the distances from the bottom side 102 to each of the first air outlets 2111 may be the same, which helps the first air generating assembly 210 to generate a steady airflow distribution.
  • the disclosure is not limited to the direction of the airflow generated from the first air outlets 2111 of the first air generating assembly 210 , and the direction of the airflow generated from the first air outlets 2111 is not restricted to the embodiment shown herein but can be altered to be horizontal or inclined downward depending on the actual requirements.
  • the disclosure is not limited to the quantity and location of the first air outlets 2111 , any arrangement or design of the first air outlets 2111 , that can create an airflow distribution in the area (ullage space) above the liquid accommodation space S to prevent the vapor coolant or other internal gas from passing through the opening O, should fall within the scope of the disclosure.
  • the first air generating assembly may only have two first air outlets respectively located on two opposite sides of the reservoir tank; alternatively, in another embodiment, each side of the reservoir tank may have two first air outlets; or, in further another embodiment, the first air outlet may be a single continuous annular air outlet that is formed on the sidewalls of the reservoir tank.
  • the disclosure is not limited to how the first air generating assembly 210 generates airflow from the first air outlets 2111 .
  • the first air generating assembly 210 may include one or more first airflow generators 211 , and each of the first airflow generators 211 may be, but not limited to, a cross fan.
  • each first airflow generator 211 may have a first air inlet 2112 connected to the first air outlet 2111 .
  • the first airflow generator 211 can suck the ambient air via the first air inlet 2112 and also can blow it into the reservoir tank 10 via the first air outlet 2111 so as to form an airflow of the aforementioned airflow distribution.
  • the disclosure is not limited to the first airflow generator 211 and the type, quantity, and size of the first airflow generator 211 . And the disclosure is either not limited to the quantity, location, and size of the first air outlets 2111 . In fact, any suitable design or device that can blow airflow via the first air outlets 2111 falls within the scope of the disclosure. For example, in some other embodiments, according to the actual requirements, the quantities or types of the first airflow generators 211 and the first air outlets 2111 can be changed, such as using different types of the first airflow generator 211 or replacing the first airflow generator 211 with other ways of airflow generation, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 is not limited to be stacked on the top surface 11 of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the first air generating assembly may be sized to be able to be put into the opening of the reservoir tank; in such a case, the reservoir tank may additionally have one or more through holes for exposing the first air inlet of the first air generating assembly, and the first air generating assembly can be fixed in place on the inner side wall of the reservoir tank by, for example, screwing, welding, or adhesive.
  • the air generating system 20 may further include a second air generating assembly 220 .
  • the second air generating assembly 220 is also located on the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the second air generating assembly 220 is located between the liquid accommodation space S and the first air generating assembly 210 and is disposed on the inner side wall 12 of the reservoir tank 10 and protrudes inward from the inner side wall 12 .
  • the second air generating assembly 220 is configured to suck gas (including the vapor coolant and other internal gas) existing between the first air generating assembly 210 and the liquid accommodation space S and then to blow it toward the liquid accommodation space S. Note that the disclosure is not limited to how the second air generating assembly 220 is fixed to the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the second air generating assembly 220 may be additionally disposed on or integrally formed on the reservoir tank 10 , and the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 can be fixed to the inner side wall 12 of the reservoir tank 10 by, for example, screwing, welding, or adhesive.
  • the second air generating assembly may be sized to be able to be put into the opening of the reservoir tank; in such a case, the second air generating assembly can also be fixed to the inner side wall of the reservoir tank by, for example, screwing, welding, or adhesive.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 has at least one second air inlet 2211 and at least one second air outlet 2212 .
  • the second air inlet 2211 and the second air outlet 2212 are located within the internal space of the reservoir tank 10 and are located above the liquid accommodation space S.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 has four second air inlets 2211 and four second air outlets 2212 , where the second air inlet 2211 and the second air outlet 2212 that are connected to each other are paired.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 can suck the vapor coolant and other internal gas existing between the first air generating assembly 210 and the liquid accommodation space S via the second air inlets 2211 ; in other words, when the first air generating assembly 210 generates the airflow distribution, the vapor coolant and other internal gas existing between the liquid accommodation space S and the airflow distribution or opening O can be sucked into the second air inlet 2211 .
  • the gas existing above the liquid accommodation space S is sucked into the second air inlet 2211 , and then the second air generating assembly 220 can blow the gas toward the liquid accommodation space S from the second air outlets 2212 . That is, the second air generating assembly 220 is able to transfer and blow the vapor coolant and other internal gas existing between the liquid accommodation space S and the airflow distribution or opening O toward the liquid coolant 8 stored in the liquid accommodation space S.
  • the quantities of the second air inlets 2211 and the second air outlets 2212 are both four, there are four pairs of second air inlets 2211 and second air outlets 2212 respectively located at four sidewalls (not numbered) of the reservoir tank 10 ; that is, the four pairs of second air inlets 2211 and second air outlets 2212 are respectively located at different sides of the reservoir tank 10 .
  • the airflow generated from the second air inlets 2211 of the second air generating assembly 220 is not restricted to flowing toward the second air inlets 2211 from the upper and lower areas of the second air generating assembly 220 (e.g., the arrows shown in FIG. 2 ), it can be altered depending on the actual requirements, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the second air inlet 2211 can be adjusted to be facing away from the liquid accommodation space S and facing toward the opening O so that airflow will be flowing towards the liquid accommodation space S from the opening O; alternatively, in another embodiment, the second air inlet 2211 may be adjusted to be in an inclined position to face toward the area between the second air generating assembly 220 and the first air generating assembly 210 .
  • the above adjustments are implemented depending on the actual requirements. Any suitable design or arrangement of the second air inlet 2211 of the second air generating assembly 220 that is able to suck the gas existing between the first air generating assembly 210 and the liquid accommodation space S falls within the scope of the disclosure.
  • the airflow generated from the second air outlets 2212 of the second air generating assembly 220 is not restricted to flowing towards the liquid accommodation space S (as the arrows shown in FIG. 2 ), it can be altered depending on the actual requirements, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the second air outlet 2212 may be in an inclined position to face toward the area between the second air generating assembly 220 and the liquid accommodation space S. The above adjustments can be implemented depending on the actual requirements. Any suitable design or arrangement of the second air outlet 2212 of the second air generating assembly 220 that is able to blow the gas and vapor collected from the second air inlet 2211 toward the liquid accommodation space S falls within the scope of the disclosure.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 is able to suck the vapor coolant and transfer it back to the liquid accommodation space S so as to create an internal circulation between the first air generating assembly 210 and the liquid accommodation space S.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 can generate the airflow distribution to prevent the vapor coolant from escaping from the opening O, the vapor coolant existing between the liquid accommodation space S and the first air generating assembly 210 can be drawn back to the liquid accommodation space S by the second air generating assembly 220 .
  • the second air generating assembly 220 helps to further reduce the amount of the vapor coolant that flows towards the airflow distribution and thus ensuring that the vapor coolant will not escape and can be perfectly preserved.
  • the immersion cooling apparatus 1 may further include a vapor condenser 9 .
  • the vapor condenser 9 may be, but not limited to, disposed in the area between the liquid accommodation space S and the opening O. Therefore, the internal circulation, generated by the second air generating assembly 220 , between the first air generating assembly 210 and the liquid accommodation space S can repeatedly deliver the vapor coolant toward the vapor condenser 9 , such that the vapor coolant in the internal circulation can be repeatedly cooled by the vapor condenser 9 , and the vapor coolant not yet passing through the vapor condenser 9 can also be drawn into the internal circulation to have more chances and times to be cooled by the vapor condenser 9 .
  • the vapor coolant is ensured to be cooled by the vapor condenser 9 for multiple times. This helps to reduce the amount of the vapor coolant flowing towards the airflow distribution.
  • the vapor condenser 9 is optional and exemplary, and the disclosure is not limited to the vapor condenser 9 and the design, quantity, and location of the vapor condenser 9 .
  • the disclosure is not limited to the second air inlets 2211 and the second air outlets 2212 and their quantities and locations, any suitable design or arrangement of the second air inlets 2211 and the second air outlets 2212 that is able to create an internal circulation between the liquid accommodation space S and the first air generating assembly 210 to repeatedly transfer the vapor coolant back to the liquid accommodation space S should fall within the scope of the disclosure.
  • the second air generating assembly may only have two second air inlets and two second air outlets; in such a case, there will be two pairs of second air inlet and second air outlet, and they are respectively located at two opposite sides of the reservoir tank; alternatively, in another embodiment, each side of the reservoir tank may have two second air inlets and two second air outlets.
  • the disclosure is not limited to how the second air generating assembly 220 generates airflow.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 may include one or more second airflow generators 221 , and each of the second airflow generators 221 may be, but not limited to, a cross fan, but the disclosure is not limited to the second airflow generator 221 and the type, quantity, and size of the second airflow generator 221 .
  • the quantity or type of the second airflow generator 221 can be changed, such as using different types of the second airflow generator 221 or replacing the second airflow generator 221 with other ways of airflow generation, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • step S 100 the lid 30 of the immersion cooling apparatus 1 is opened (step S 100 ) so as to expose the opening O of the immersion cooling apparatus 1 .
  • the liquid accommodation space S of the reservoir tank 10 is also exposed by the opening O.
  • the air generating system 20 is activated (step S 210 ), the first air generating assembly 210 starts to generate airflow to form an airflow distribution between the opening O and the liquid accommodation space S of the reservoir tank 10 in order to block the vapor coolant evaporated from the liquid coolant 8 in the liquid accommodation space S from passing through the opening O.
  • the second air generating assembly 220 is activated (step S 220 ) to suck the vapor coolant and other internal gas existing between the first air generating assembly 210 and the liquid accommodation space S and blow them towards the liquid accommodation space S, and thereby creating an internal circulation to repeatedly send the vapor coolant and/or other internal gas existing between the liquid accommodation space S and the first air generating assembly 210 back to the liquid accommodation space S.
  • the amount of the vapor coolant flowing toward the airflow distribution is considerably reduced.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a flow field simulation of the immersion cooling apparatus 1 when the air generating system 20 is in operation, where the aforementioned vapor condenser is omitted from FIG. 4 for the purpose of simple and clear illustration, the arrows in FIG. 4 represent the directions of the vapor coolant, and the size of the arrows represent the velocity of the vapor coolant.
  • the vapor coolant evaporated from the liquid accommodation space S rises towards the opening O
  • the second air generating assembly 220 sucks the vapor coolant existing between the second air generating assembly 220 and the liquid accommodation space S and the vapor coolant existing between the first air generating assembly 210 and the second air generating assembly 220 and then sends them back to the liquid accommodation space S so as to repeatedly cool the vapor coolant.
  • Part of the vapor coolant may flow toward the first air generating assembly 210 and the opening O but will be blocked by the airflow distribution W created by the first air generating assembly 210 and not be able to pass through the opening O.
  • the vapor coolant will be perfectly preserved in the reservoir tank 10 by the airflow distribution W.
  • the airflow distribution W only the airflow for forming the airflow distribution W will escape to outside, but it does not affect the performance of the airflow distribution W.
  • FIGS. 5A-5B where FIG. 5A is a schematic flow field simulation of the immersion cooling apparatus 1 when the air generating system 20 is in operation and the reservoir tank 10 contains an object (e.g., the heat source 7 ), and FIG. 5B is the same schematic flow field simulation but taken from a different viewpoint. And for the purpose of simple and clear illustration, the heat source 7 in FIGS. 5A-5B that has been taken out of the liquid accommodation space S is illustrated in a larger size.
  • One or more of the heat sources 7 can be pulled out of the liquid accommodation space S or installed back in the liquid accommodation space S by using, for example, a robot crane or other mechanical devices (not shown). During the removal or installation of the heat source 7 or other objects from the liquid accommodation space S, the heat source 7 will go through the internal space of the reservoir tank 10 . As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B , although the heat source 7 penetrates through the airflow distribution W and occupies part of the internal space of the reservoir tank 10 , the second air generating assembly 220 is still able to constantly and perfectly drawing the vapor coolant into the internal circulation to repeatedly cool the vapor coolant, and the airflow distribution W created by the first air generating assembly 210 is still able to suppress the rising vapor coolant.
  • the air generating system 20 is still able to prevent the internal gas, such as vapor or gaseous coolant or other internal gaseous or vapor substances, from escaping from the reservoir tank 10 even while an object is passing through the opening O of the reservoir tank 10 . It is noted that the disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned object and the size and shape of the object.
  • the steps S 100 -S 220 can be performed in any order.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 can be activated to create the airflow distribution W (step S 210 ) before opening the lid 30 (step S 100 ), that is, the step S 210 can be performed before the step S 100 ;
  • both the first air generating assembly 210 and the second air generating assembly 220 can be activated to create the airflow distribution W and the internal circulation (steps S 210 and step S 220 ) before opening the lid 30 (step S 100 ), that is, the steps S 210 and S 220 can be performed before the step S 100 .
  • the step S 100 is omitted; in such a case, the air generating system can be constantly in operation to prevent the vapor coolant from escaping.
  • the disclosure is either not limited to the structural proportion of the immersion cooling apparatus.
  • the first air generating assembly 210 may be spaced apart from the top side 101 of the reservoir tank 10 ; that is, the first air generating assembly 210 may be adjusted to a location that is not at the opening O and is much closer to the liquid accommodation space S, and such modification does not affect the performance of the airflow distribution.
  • the distances among the first air generating assembly 210 , the second air generating assembly 220 and the liquid accommodation space S all can be altered according to the actual requirements, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an immersion cooling apparatus 1 ′ according to another embodiment of the disclosure.
  • an air generating system 20 ′ of the immersion cooling apparatus 1 ′ only includes the first air generating assembly 210 .
  • the first air generating assembly 210 can create an airflow distribution for blocking the vapor coolant in the reservoir tank 10 from passing through the opening O, it is understood that the air generating system 20 ′ of the immersion cooling apparatus 1 ′ is able to prevent the vapor coolant from escaping from the reservoir tank 10 whether the opening O is exposed or an object is passing through the opening O.
  • the immersion cooling apparatus is merely one of the applications of the disclosure.
  • the aforementioned air generating system may be applied to other types of cooling apparatus that has a reservoir tank and it still able to create an airflow distribution between the liquid accommodation space and opening of the reservoir tank, and any suitable application should fall within the scope of the disclosure.
  • the air generating system may be integrally formed on the reservoir tank, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.
  • the air generating system may be detachably disposed on any reservoir tank and thus having a wide applicability.
  • the first air generating assembly is able to create an airflow distribution at the opening of the reservoir tank or between the opening and the liquid accommodation space of the reservoir tank, such that the vaporized coolant in the reservoir tank is prevented from escaping from the opening of the reservoir tank.
  • the air generating system further has a second air generating assembly on the reservoir tank for sucking vapor substance above the liquid accommodation space and send it back to the liquid accommodation space, thereby repeatedly delivering the vapor coolant to the vapor condenser; that is, the vapor coolant in the internal circulation can be repeatedly cooled by the vapor condenser, and the vapor coolant not yet passing through the vapor condenser can also be drawn into the internal circulation to have more chances and times to be cooled by the vapor condenser.
  • the airflow distribution created by the first air generating assembly of the air generating system all can suppress and prevent the rising vapor coolant from escaping to the external environment.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Cooling Or The Like Of Electrical Apparatus (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
US16/451,241 2019-03-26 2019-06-25 Air generating system for reservoir tank, immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and method for operating the same Active US10863649B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
TW108110523A TWI714037B (zh) 2019-03-26 2019-03-26 用於儲液槽體的氣流產生系統、具有其之浸沒式冷卻設備以及其操作方法
TW108110523 2019-03-26
TW108110523A 2019-03-26

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20200315060A1 US20200315060A1 (en) 2020-10-01
US10863649B2 true US10863649B2 (en) 2020-12-08

Family

ID=72604496

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US16/451,241 Active US10863649B2 (en) 2019-03-26 2019-06-25 Air generating system for reservoir tank, immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and method for operating the same

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US10863649B2 (zh)
CN (1) CN111757635B (zh)
TW (1) TWI714037B (zh)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11516943B2 (en) * 2017-12-26 2022-11-29 Inpro Technologies Limited Liability Company Direct liquid cooling system for cooling of electronic components

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11032941B2 (en) * 2019-03-28 2021-06-08 Intel Corporation Modular thermal energy management designs for data center computing
US11252840B2 (en) * 2019-09-18 2022-02-15 GM Global Technology Operations LLC Vapor cooling of electronics
USD989255S1 (en) * 2020-10-29 2023-06-13 Submer Technologies, S.L. Fluid distribution equipment
US12004325B2 (en) * 2022-02-15 2024-06-04 Quanta Computer Inc. Immersion liquid cooling tank assembly with fan

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20130019614A1 (en) * 2011-07-21 2013-01-24 International Business Machines Corporation Air-side economizer facilitating liquid-based cooling of an electronics rack
CN104597994A (zh) 2014-12-31 2015-05-06 曙光信息产业(北京)有限公司 浸没式液冷服务器、用于服务器的浸没式液冷方法
US20160330865A1 (en) * 2015-05-04 2016-11-10 Dell Products, L.P. Methodology for electronic equipment to self-identify submersion in mineral oil
US20170112017A1 (en) * 2015-10-12 2017-04-20 Cooler Master Co., Ltd. Heat dissipating system
US20170295670A1 (en) * 2016-04-07 2017-10-12 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation Immersion cooled electronic assemblies
US20170303434A1 (en) * 2016-04-14 2017-10-19 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation Immersion cooling arrangements for electronic devices
US20180084670A1 (en) * 2016-09-16 2018-03-22 Fujitsu Limited Immersion cooling apparatus
US20180279507A1 (en) * 2015-12-02 2018-09-27 Downunder Geosolutions Pty Ltd. Fluid Conditioner for Cooling Fluid in a Tank Holding Computers and/or Other Electronics Equipment, a Cooling System Incorporating such a Fluid Conditioner, and a Method of Cooling Fluid in a Tank Holding Computers and/or Other Electronics Equipment
US20180338388A1 (en) * 2017-05-16 2018-11-22 Fujitsu Limited Cooling device, electronic apparatus, and cooling system
US20180343770A1 (en) * 2015-11-23 2018-11-29 Aecorsis B.V. A Device Comprising Heat Producing Components with Liquid Submersion Cooling

Family Cites Families (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5063475A (en) * 1990-03-19 1991-11-05 International Business Machines Corporation Multileveled electronic assembly with cooling means
JP3930210B2 (ja) * 1999-11-11 2007-06-13 株式会社東芝 超電導磁石
CN1416580A (zh) * 2000-02-24 2003-05-07 尤尼芬国际公司 冷却变压器的系统和方法
JP2007278577A (ja) * 2006-04-05 2007-10-25 Mayekawa Mfg Co Ltd 防虫防塵エアシャッタ
US7545644B2 (en) * 2006-05-16 2009-06-09 Georgia Tech Research Corporation Nano-patch thermal management devices, methods, & systems
US20120318009A1 (en) * 2007-01-19 2012-12-20 Heartland Technology Partners Llc Cooling tower
TW200838020A (en) * 2007-03-09 2008-09-16 Coretronic Corp Fuel cell system
JP4584968B2 (ja) * 2007-09-12 2010-11-24 菱和設備株式会社 貯蔵庫
TW201128154A (en) * 2010-02-12 2011-08-16 Micro Base Technology Corp Cooling and heat-dissipation system, and cooling device thereof
US8899061B2 (en) * 2011-09-23 2014-12-02 R4 Ventures, Llc Advanced multi-purpose, multi-stage evaporative cold water/cold air generating and supply system
EP2833237A4 (en) * 2012-03-29 2015-04-01 Fujitsu Ltd MODULAR DATA CENTER AND ITS CONTROL METHOD
TWI482000B (zh) * 2012-11-06 2015-04-21 Wistron Corp 密封元件及應用該密封元件之電子裝置
TW201425845A (zh) * 2012-12-17 2014-07-01 Nat Univ Chin Yi Technology 具節能均溫作用之高效冷藏裝置
US10018425B2 (en) * 2013-02-01 2018-07-10 Dell Products, L.P. Heat exchanger and technique for cooling a target space and/or device via stepped sequencing of multiple working fluids of dissimilar saturation temperatures to provide condensation-by-vaporization cycles
CN104571420B (zh) * 2014-12-31 2018-04-20 曙光节能技术（北京）股份有限公司 浸没式液冷服务器、用于服务器的浸没式液冷方法
CN205174563U (zh) * 2015-11-30 2016-04-20 湖南康帝电器有限公司 一种带制氧功能的空气调节器
CN106523327A (zh) * 2016-11-14 2017-03-22 刘坚 一种低噪声空气压缩机

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20130019614A1 (en) * 2011-07-21 2013-01-24 International Business Machines Corporation Air-side economizer facilitating liquid-based cooling of an electronics rack
CN104597994A (zh) 2014-12-31 2015-05-06 曙光信息产业(北京)有限公司 浸没式液冷服务器、用于服务器的浸没式液冷方法
US20160330865A1 (en) * 2015-05-04 2016-11-10 Dell Products, L.P. Methodology for electronic equipment to self-identify submersion in mineral oil
US20170112017A1 (en) * 2015-10-12 2017-04-20 Cooler Master Co., Ltd. Heat dissipating system
US20180343770A1 (en) * 2015-11-23 2018-11-29 Aecorsis B.V. A Device Comprising Heat Producing Components with Liquid Submersion Cooling
US20180279507A1 (en) * 2015-12-02 2018-09-27 Downunder Geosolutions Pty Ltd. Fluid Conditioner for Cooling Fluid in a Tank Holding Computers and/or Other Electronics Equipment, a Cooling System Incorporating such a Fluid Conditioner, and a Method of Cooling Fluid in a Tank Holding Computers and/or Other Electronics Equipment
US20170295670A1 (en) * 2016-04-07 2017-10-12 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation Immersion cooled electronic assemblies
US20170303434A1 (en) * 2016-04-14 2017-10-19 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation Immersion cooling arrangements for electronic devices
US20180084670A1 (en) * 2016-09-16 2018-03-22 Fujitsu Limited Immersion cooling apparatus
US20180338388A1 (en) * 2017-05-16 2018-11-22 Fujitsu Limited Cooling device, electronic apparatus, and cooling system

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Intellectual Property Office Ministry of Economic Affairs, R.O.C., "Taiwan Office Action and Search Report for TW Appln No. 108110523", Taiwan, Nov. 12, 2019.

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11516943B2 (en) * 2017-12-26 2022-11-29 Inpro Technologies Limited Liability Company Direct liquid cooling system for cooling of electronic components

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN111757635B (zh) 2023-05-16
CN111757635A (zh) 2020-10-09
TWI714037B (zh) 2020-12-21
US20200315060A1 (en) 2020-10-01
TW202037254A (zh) 2020-10-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US10863649B2 (en) Air generating system for reservoir tank, immersion cooling apparatus having the same, and method for operating the same
US10888032B2 (en) Apparatus for liquid immersion cooling, system for liquid immersion cooling, and method of cooling electronic device
CN113133271B (zh) 浸没式冷却设备
US20200267872A1 (en) Cooling device, cooling system, and method of cooling
US10130013B1 (en) Cooling electronic devices in a data center
JP2018088433A (ja) 冷却システム及び電子機器の冷却方法
US20100103620A1 (en) Open Flow Cold Plate For Liquid Cooled Electronic Packages
JP2020176804A (ja) 液浸槽、及び電子機器
US7913507B2 (en) Electronic equipment cooling system
US20220400579A1 (en) Nozzle arrangement and cooling module
CN113056161A (zh) 电子设备外壳和边缘计算系统
JP6276959B2 (ja) 相変化モジュール及びそれを搭載した電子機器装置
US20220400585A1 (en) Two phase containment system for servers
WO2014132085A1 (en) A module for cooling one or more heat generating components
WO2020100816A1 (ja) 気泡放出装置を備えた電子機器
US20230070643A1 (en) Condenser and open loop two phase cooling system
US11378344B2 (en) Immersion cooling system
US20220141997A1 (en) Cooling of electronic components with an electrohydrodynamic flow unit
WO2015128951A1 (ja) 半導体素子冷却装置および電子機器
CN117581643A (zh) 用于空气冷却服务器的混合母板冷却系统
KR101036170B1 (ko) 컴퓨터부품용 복합냉각장치
US11023021B2 (en) Cooling system to minimize generation of bubbles inside flow passage by utilizing an auxiliary pump
JP2015194985A (ja) 冷却装置を備えた電子装置の構造箱
CN115529784A (zh) 数据中心的基于模块设计
JP2018010500A (ja) 情報処理装置

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: WISTRON CORP., TAIWAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CHEN, HUA;LIN, SHENG YEN;REEL/FRAME:049576/0180

Effective date: 20190425

FEPP Fee payment procedure

Free format text: ENTITY STATUS SET TO UNDISCOUNTED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: BIG.); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY

STCF Information on status: patent grant

Free format text: PATENTED CASE

MAFP Maintenance fee payment

Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 4TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY

Year of fee payment: 4